chefboy24

I am struggling to comprehend why having fewer choices would make a restaurant more appealing.As I mentioned upthread, there certainly are restaurants that operate successfully with just half-dozen apps & entrées, but it's undeniable that this is on the low side, and based on what Bouley has historically done, I would guess it is not the final total. ← i would prefer fewer choices in almost any case. really i'd prefer great food in any case, but usually fewer choices equals better food.

seriously telling mario about a bad meal you had one time is like telling jamie dimon and vikram pandit that the economy is tough now.... all joking aside, there is the worst waiter in new york at esca, who needs to learn when to shut up. after telling him twice, on 2 separate occasions that i've been to esca many times, he insisted on doing a 1-2 minute schpiel of the menu, i actually lost my calm at the table with him. when i ordered this obscure italian wine called coenobium, made by nuns (alledgedly), this guy would not shut up about it, even though i've probably sold 5 or 6 cases of it myself to diners around the city. the worst man, the worst.

I'm sorry but we ate there last Wednesday--it was wonderful--deconstructed osso buco, mint pillows, a 98 Barbaresco--wonderful service--quiet on the second floor--where were you? I think you need harmone pills!! ← umm, i was talking about the right thing to do when something goes wrong at any restaurant, not just babbo. i love babbo and i've never had a bad time there? reading comprehension?

i stopped by to take a peek. the new bouley is freaking gorgeous, it looks like a 3 star michelin country side restaurant in france. he still has the apples at the door, gorgeous slate and tile and marble everywhere, flowers, huge tables, space between tables, 3 rooms. i wonder if its going to get a rereview by the bruni.

absolutely!! but i think you're sarcastic, no? some make no profit at all. (see fleur de sel, fiamma). i'm a little bit torn on momofuku ko not doing to-go bags. they have 2 michelin stars. on the other hand, they didn't want or ask for 2 michelin stars. i tend to agree with the fact that most of these dishes are so small and so few bites and so temperature sensitive that packing them to go is ridiculous. there is the issue of presentation as well. a lamb chop just cooked served on slate or bernardaud or raynaud is much more fabulous than your microwaved lamb chop at home.... anyway, going for lunch tomorrow. will do full report!

Sorry, but I disagree with you about letter writing. Sure, depending on the situation it can be more effective to speak to a manager then and there. However, different situations may call for a different approach. A few years ago I was entertaining foreign clients at Le Bernardin. The food was fine but there were several service slip-ups. I did my best to discreetly point them out to the server or captain (one of the issues was lack of proximity of someone in charge). However, problems continued throughout the meal. If I had made more of a fuss, it would have been awkward and potentially embarrassing in front of my guests. I also didn't feel it was incumbent upon me to get up from a business conversation in order to find an appropriate manager. It's also too late to fix certain problems once they have occurred. In that case I wrote a letter and received an appropriate call apologizing. I was sent a gift certificate (I don't remember the exact amount...around $200) as compensation. I was satisfied with the response. ← okay, i understand. when you are on a client dinner, entertaining clients, i totally can see that making a fuss is very unattractive to the guests you are entertaining. but i've been in that situation, and i still excuse myself to go to the "restroom" but i actually try to explain to a manager what was going wrong without creating a big fuss. in my experience, letter writing people just want free stuff. if i have a bad time at a restaurant, i generally won't go back (for a while), free gift certificate to return or not.

sorry i come off as aggressive, but i'm very passionate about this. when you write a letter, maybe the chef and owner will pass it back and forth around their management, sommeliers, wine director, dining room managers. its like a snowball effect, it gets bigger and bigger and more people just get pissed off. someone may lose a job over it. but in reality if in person you just raised your hand, asked for a manager, and said "i hate to do this, but, i'm not enjoying my meal here. i've been here before several times and i love babbo but i find my waiter to be condescending and the sommelier wasn't helpful at all and i really don't enjoy this wine. i'm having a bad experience and i just wanted to let you know." i can't imagine that your experience wouldn't be turned around in a nanosecond and you would have been extremely taken care of after that.

I've never been, but other restaurants have given me the following reasons for not allowing take-away: The food suffers when not eaten right away (Frontera Grill). They don't have take-away containers (most places in Japan). They're worried about food safety (places in Japan during the O-157 scare, and a place in Dubai that made us sign a release before they'd let us take our food). With Momofuku Ko, I would guess the primary reason is the first one. ← it's called "take-out" on this side of the pond.

lilly bulb is the new ciopolini

i for one am very excited for the move. they need a new snazzy room to energize. they were doing this industry night mondays back in december/november.... 5 courses for $45, no corkage. it was good but not great... actually for the price it was great. the service was eager but slightly awkward (there's one captain who's been there for 15 years and he kind of freaked me out a little bit, very strange.) christopher lee is brilliant and i'm sure the bank of america space will be gleaming and sexy as hell... i heard may for an opening?

awesome thread! i'm jealous of some of you guys: this random sweetbread ravioli with lemon froth at emp for lunch - insane. suckling pig at emp foie gras terrine with raspberries? at emp. really the ever changing foie gras terrine at emp. turbot/chateau chalon at JG halibut/hon shimijis & lemongrass at JG scallops/caper raisin cauliflower at JG (so often immitated by every other chef in the country and even myself) peekytoecrab dumplings at JG ginger rice bowl at Perry Street knot foie at WD50 anything with uni at Soto pasta with black truffles at robuchon pasta with black truffles at per se max's good appenzeller @ picholine "It will make you see Jesus" direct quote from the man himself. And I did. peppadews with speck and mozzarella at casellula. razor clams with cardamom at szechuan gourmet? (the one in the east 30's?)

please. i'm begging you. i've never been to the french laundry either. please just go to per se. you'll thank me.

hey ue - i have a res for lunch this weekend at per se, wanna join me? hit me up on gmail.

oh and tabla bread bar was perfect..... had a nice beer flight tasting, the food was stellar, and i got a $24 coupon to come back this spring!

i love centro vinoteca but i had a really random resto week menu there....if i had ordered a la carte the portions would have been much bigger (in my memory of the same dishes)...and the price would have been about the same. had a surprisingly good resto week menu at benoit! very classic bistro french.